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wistful

wist·ful
W w

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [wist-fuh l]
    • /ˈwɪst fəl/
    • /ˈwɪst.fəl/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [wist-fuh l]
    • /ˈwɪst fəl/

Definitions of wistful word

  • adjective wistful characterized by melancholy; longing; yearning. 1
  • adjective wistful pensive, especially in a melancholy way. 1
  • noun wistful Having or showing a feeling of vague or regretful longing. 1
  • adjective wistful person: feeling reflective 1
  • adjective wistful sad, melancholy 1
  • adjective wistful Someone who is wistful is rather sad because they want something and know that they cannot have it. 0

Information block about the term

Origin of wistful

First appearance:

before 1605
One of the 40% oldest English words
1605-15; obsolete wist quiet, silent, attentive (variant of whist2) + -ful

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Wistful

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

wistful popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 73% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
This word is included in each student's vocabulary. Most likely there is at least one movie with this word in the title.

wistful usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for wistful

adjective wistful

  • pensive — dreamily or wistfully thoughtful: a pensive mood.
  • melancholy — sober thoughtfulness; pensiveness.
  • thoughtful — showing consideration for others; considerate.
  • reflective — that reflects; reflecting.
  • contemplative — Someone who is contemplative thinks deeply, or is thinking in a serious and calm way.

Antonyms for wistful

adjective wistful

  • satisfied — content: a satisfied look.
  • cheerful — Someone who is cheerful is happy and shows this in their behaviour.
  • happy — delighted, pleased, or glad, as over a particular thing: to be happy to see a person.
  • joyful — full of joy, as a person or one's heart; glad; delighted.
  • negligent — guilty of or characterized by neglect, as of duty: negligent officials.

Top questions with wistful

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See also

Matching words

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